Eddy Cuehttp://www.businessinsider.com/category/eddy-cue
en-usMon, 19 Mar 2018 15:06:54 -0400Mon, 19 Mar 2018 15:06:54 -0400The latest news on Eddy Cue from Business Insiderhttp://static3.businessinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttp://www.businessinsider.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/texture-magazine-apple-app-news-walkthrough-photos-2018-3How to use Texture, the beautiful 'Netflix for magazines' app Apple just bought (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/texture-magazine-apple-app-news-walkthrough-photos-2018-3
Tue, 13 Mar 2018 10:32:27 -0400Avery Hartmans
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5aa7d8083be59f1c008b46ca-1044/screen shot 2018-02-05 at 091644.png" alt="Girl iPhone X" data-mce-source="Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty" /></p><p>Apple is employing the help of a popular app to help it fight fake news.</p>
<p>On Monday, <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/03/apple-to-acquire-digital-magazine-service-texture/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple announced it would acquire Texture</a>, a smartphone app that gives users unlimited access to popular magazines for a monthly subscription fee. It <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2015/09/30/next-issue-texture/">has</a> <a href="https://beta.techcrunch.com/2015/09/30/next-issue-relaunches-as-texture/">been</a> <a href="https://nypost.com/2016/06/21/the-netflix-of-magazines-is-about-to-get-a-lot-bigger/">described</a> as "the Netflix for magazines."</p>
<p>Texture basically imports full issues of magazines and lets users read them in the original format. You can save individual articles and even download the entire issue, all within a beautifully designed app.</p>
<p>But it wasn't just Texture's look and feel that attracted Apple's interest. In an interview on Monday, Apple's head of software and services, Eddy Cue, said Apple wanted to use the app to bring quality journalism to its users.</p>
<p>"We wanted to bring trusted sources to users in a beautiful layout," Cue said, <a href="https://twitter.com/sarafischer/status/973228076502003712" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Sara Fischer</a>, a reporter for the news website Axios. "We wanted to bring them trusted sources so we don't have to worry about a lot of the problems in the marketplace."</p>
<p>Apple hasn't said how it will incorporate Texture into its lineup of products &mdash; it already has the News app, and Texture seems like a natural addition to it.</p>
<p>But if Cue's comments are any indication, the acquisition is an effort to prioritize traditional news sources &mdash; and keep fake news off its devices.</p>
<p><strong>For now, however, Texture remains a standalone app in the App Store and the Google Play Store. Here's how it works.</strong></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-homepod-2-price-specs-2018-3" >Apple might release a smaller, more affordable HomePod this year — and it’s exactly what Apple needs to get its smart-home efforts off the ground</a></strong></p>
<h3>Texture is free to download for iPhones and Android devices, but you'll need to pay a subscription fee to use the app and access its catalog of more than 200 magazines.</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5aa6ea7d3be59f24008b457b-400-300/texture-is-free-to-download-for-iphones-and-android-devices-but-youll-need-to-pay-a-subscription-fee-to-use-the-app-and-access-its-catalog-of-more-than-200-magazines.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>When you're getting started with Texture, you'll see this screen, which has all the magazines the app offers.</h3>
<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5aa6ea9b3be59f1b3e8b464d-400-300/when-youre-getting-started-with-texture-youll-see-this-screen-which-has-all-the-magazines-the-app-offers.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>Tapping on the covers of the magazines you like adds them to your favorites.</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5aa6eafe3be59f1c008b4788-400-300/tapping-on-the-covers-of-the-magazines-you-like-adds-them-to-your-favorites.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/texture-magazine-apple-app-news-walkthrough-photos-2018-3#/#once-you-choose-some-favorites-youll-be-able-to-access-them-in-your-library-when-a-new-issue-is-out-texture-will-let-you-know-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-eddy-cue-why-we-ban-havent-banned-the-nra-tv-app-2018-3Apple exec: 'We think free speech is important but we don't think it's everything' (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-eddy-cue-why-we-ban-havent-banned-the-nra-tv-app-2018-3
Mon, 12 Mar 2018 21:09:52 -0400Julie Bort
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/546b297cdd089554108b45e6-761/cue.png" alt="cue" data-mce-source="KTLA" /></p><p></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue spoke at the South by Southwest festival on Monday.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Cue discussed everything from Apple's acquisitions philosophy to the Warriors basketball team.</strong></li>
<li><strong>He also touched on the issue of free speech and why Apple has banned apps that sell guns.</strong></li>
</ul>
<hr />
<p><br />At the<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ashton-kutcher-sound-ventures-party-sxsw-photos-2018-3"> South by Southwest conference in Austin</a>, <span>CNN's Dylan Byers</span>&nbsp;conducted a far ranging interview with Eddy Cue, <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/aapl-stock">Apple</a> senior vice president of Internet Software and Services.</p>
<p>Topics ranged from why <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-apple-wont-buy-netflix-or-disney-2018-3">Apple should (or shouldn't buy Netflix)</a> to the playoff hopes of the Bay Area's basketball team, the Golden State Warriors (Cue is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-exec-eddy-cue-rihanna-nba-finals-2017-6">known to be a huge basketball fan</a>).</p>
<p>Naturally Byer's also quizzed Cue on the topic de jour: the tech industry's responsibility in everything from the epidemic of fake news influencing the election, to its role in brain-hacking, app addiction.</p>
<p>When asked if Facebook, Google and Reddit have a responsibility to do better on those areas, Cue wouldn't call out any particularly tech adversary by name. But he did say, "I think everybody has a responsibility."</p>
<p>And he added that "free speech" is not an excuse. "We think free speech is important but we don't think it's everything."</p>
<h2>No guns and no bomb-making apps&nbsp;</h2>
<p>"It's important for Americans to have debates on certain issues," he said,"but we don't think hate speech from white supremacists is important free speech."</p>
<p>He gave as an example, how Apple has always banned "bomb-making apps. We don't think that kind of content belongs on our platform."&nbsp;</p>
<p>Ditto for apps that sell guns, which are also not allowed.</p>
<p>At the same time, Cue explained Apple's decision not to ban or yank&nbsp;the National Rifle Association's TV app, which streams videos for gun enthusiasts. Cue said that it doesn't violate Apple's rules.</p>
<p>In the wake of the Florida shootings, gun safety activists on Twitter were calling on Amazon, not Apple, to ban the app from its platforms in a campaign called&nbsp;#StopNRAmazon.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ashton-kutcher-sound-ventures-party-sxsw-photos-2018-3" >Ashton Kutcher's venture fund held one of the most exclusive and bonkers parties at SXSW, the world's wildest tech conference — take a look inside</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-eddy-cue-why-we-ban-havent-banned-the-nra-tv-app-2018-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nemos-garden-is-an-underwater-greenhouse-heres-how-it-works-italy-father-son-2018-3">A father and son are growing fruit and vegetables 8 metres below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea — here's why</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/angela-ahrendts-pink-burberry-coat-why-it-matters-2017-9Why it absolutely matters what Angela Ahrendts wore on stage during Apple's iPhone launch event (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/angela-ahrendts-pink-burberry-coat-why-it-matters-2017-9
Sat, 16 Sep 2017 11:30:00 -0400Avery Hartmans
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/59bc141e9803c50d098b574b-1053/gettyimages-846094428.jpg" alt="Angela Ahrendts" data-mce-source="Justin Sullivan/Getty" /></p><p>Even if you missed Apple's big iPhone unveiling this past Tuesday, you may have seen the photo: Angela Ahrendts, Apple's retail boss, on stage wearing black-framed glasses, a white v-neck t-shirt, and a pale pink lace trench coat.</p>
<p>The coat &mdash; made by the company Ahrendts used to run, Burberry &mdash; caused an immediate reaction. <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=newssearch&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiEm7PP46fWAhVo9IMKHQwADEUQu4gBCCgoATAA&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wmagazine.com%2Fstory%2Fangela-ahrendt-apple-keynote-burberry-trench-coat&amp;usg=AFQjCNEdTnpmqzjvOGh8lH3U1IWWFj5Bpw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">W Magazine</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=newssearch&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiEm7PP46fWAhVo9IMKHQwADEUQu4gBCCsoBDAA&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.racked.com%2F2017%2F9%2F12%2F16296368%2Fapple-event-pink-coat-burberry&amp;usg=AFQjCNFdOaO8-HINJG5-T3hgeBVIJYKH-A" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Racked</a>, and <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=newssearch&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiEm7PP46fWAhVo9IMKHQwADEUQu4gBCCooAzAA&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.glamour.com%2Fstory%2Fangela-ahrendts-apple-event-pink-coat&amp;usg=AFQjCNHwV-jNqZcNKhteIj61jylqtDeo6g" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Glamour</a> all covered the coat, and Twitter's reaction to it. I tracked down the coat in question and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/angela-ahrendts-lace-burberry-trench-coat-cost-2017-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">found out the price tag</a>: $2,895.&nbsp;</p>
<p>And then, the hate-mail came.</p>
<p>"W<span>e are horrified you are focusing on her outfit &mdash; really?" one Twitter user wrote to me, referring to herself and her female friends in Silicon Valley. "Very disappointing."</span></p>
<p><span>"You think Ms. Ahrendts' fashion choices are newsworthy? Really? Must be a slow day for you." a man told me in an email.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span>"Why did a technology-focused site even publish something about her outfit?" a woman wrote by email. "Your article is one that my daughter asks about, and requires a sit down with her and her two brothers to explain why it is of zero importance that this powerful woman wore a jacket and it was expensive."</span></p>
<p><span>Many of the&nbsp;criticisms were valid. They pointed to the issues women in tech &mdash; and the world as a whole, let's be honest &mdash; have&nbsp;always faced: Not being taken seriously, and a lack of representation in boardrooms, on executive teams, and in male-dominated fields like technology, sports, or engineering.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/59b828549803c524008b4eba-2400/gettyimages-846093550.jpg" alt="Angela Ahrendts" data-mce-source="Justin Sullivan/Getty" /></span></p>
<p><span>Ahrendts is the only female executive at Apple, and she was the only woman on stage at the company's big event on Tuesday. She was there to talk about what's ahead for Apple's retail stores, which&nbsp;includes a new flagship store in Chicago, a return of the glass cube over the Apple store on 5th Avenue in New York City, and more programs at the stores themselves to help them become&nbsp;something akin to community centers.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span>I want to be clear about something: What Ahrendts wore&nbsp;on stage at the Apple event was <strong>not</strong> more important than what she had to say.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span>But I also want to be clear about another thing: What Ahrendts wore on stage was not accidental. It was not chosen at random, or plucked last-minute from a pile of Burberry trenches lying on her&nbsp;bedroom floor. </span></p>
<p><span>What Ahrendts wore on stage was intentional, and it's absolutely worth noting.&nbsp;</span></p>
<h2><span>The power of clothing</span></h2>
<p><span>When powerful people appear in their professional capacities, every action they take is open to scrutiny and interpretation. That includes what they say, their mannerisms, their voice, and yes, their clothes. </span></p>
<p><span>And their choice of clothes serves a very deliberate purpose.</span></p>
<p><span><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/59bc20ea9803c578288b612b-2400/hillaryclinton-justin sullivangetty.jpg" alt="Hillary Clinton" data-mce-source="Justin Sullivan/Getty" />When Hillary Clinton wore a white pantsuit during the third presidential debate, it had a double meaning: Not only was it a suit made by an American designer, Ralph Lauren, but it also <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/07/fashion/hillary-clinton-suffragists-white-clothing.html?mcubz=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">signified solidarity with suffragists</a>, who used white as their signature color. Her outfit choice wasn't accidental.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>When Mitt Romney ran for president in 2012, he did his best to use clothing to appear like a regular guy, not one&nbsp;who <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/romney-tax-rate-closer-to-15-percent-2012-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">only paid a 15% tax rate</a> thanks to his substantial wealth. Romney often&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thecut.com/2012/01/mitt-romney-wears-gap-jeans.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wore Gap jeans</a> or a <a href="http://www.esquire.com/style/mens-fashion/a10060/mitt-romney-announcement-clothing-5851949/#ixzz1jp1nLlUR" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">silver-tipped belt</a>, frequently looking like a rich person guessing at how regular people dress. He was trying to shake his East Coast, rich guy, elitist image, and he used his clothes&nbsp;to do it.&nbsp;</p>
<p><span>But perhaps the best example of someone who thought consciously about the power of clothing is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/14/fashion/michelle-obama-first-lady-fashion.html?mcubz=1&amp;module=Slide&amp;region=SlideShowTopBar&amp;version=SlideCard-47&amp;action=Click&amp;contentCollection=Fashion%20%26%20Style&amp;slideshowTitle=50%20Memorable%20Michelle%20Obama%20Looks%3A%20A%20Glance%20Back&amp;currentSlide=47&amp;entrySlide=1&amp;pgtype=imageslideshow" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Michelle Obama</a>, who used her clothes&nbsp;as a diplomatic tool. </span></p>
<p><span>She wore&nbsp;a gown by Indian designer Naeem Khan for the Indian state dinner, chose&nbsp;a dress by Korean-American designer Doo-Ri Chung for a state dinner with the president of South Korea, and donned&nbsp;Christian Siriano, an American designer and "Project Runway" winner, for a speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2016. Even the prints and colors&nbsp;she chose often paid homage of the cultures of the countries she visited.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span>More recently, when Melania Trump wore stilettos en route to Texas after Hurricane Harvey, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/journalists-mocked-melania-trump-for-wearing-heels-en-route-to-flood-ravaged-texas-but-she-had-another-pair-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the internet mocked her</a> for seeming out of touch, even though she did change into more sensible shoes later on. In that instance, she was making an official visit in her capacity as First Lady, and her outfit was open to criticism.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/59bc211d38d20d1f008b6dc8-2400/michelleobamanaeemkhan-brendan smialowskigetty.jpg" alt="Michelle Obama" data-mce-source="Brendan Smialowski/Getty" />If there are more examples of the power of fashion as it pertains to women, it's likely because women, on average, put more effort into their clothing choices than men. That's not to stereotype, or to say that women don't prioritize other things over appearance &mdash; I'm willing to bet the majority of women do.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span>It's because women are often forced to try harder, be more professional, and put more effort in than their male counterparts. </span></p>
<p><span>Some of Apple's male execs at the big event last week, including services boss Eddy Cue and marketing chief Phil Schiller, looked downright&nbsp;schlubby as they paced the stage&nbsp;in wrinkled shirts,&nbsp;ill-fitting jeans and unfashionable shoes. The reality in Corporate America is that women don't have the same leeway to "dress down" as men.</span></p>
<h2>An unspoken responsibility to have great taste</h2>
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/550c9cfb6da811f351b5030b-2400/steve-jobs-207.jpg" alt="Steve Jobs " data-mce-source="Justin Sullivan/Getty Images" />What's odd is that no one ever thought twice about the <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5830132/the-evolution-of-steve-jobs-clothing/">countless</a> <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/11/booming-business-selling-steve-jobss-wardrobe/335638/">articles</a>&nbsp;focused on the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/b36c6690-f336-11e0-8383-00144feab49a">fashion choices </a>of&nbsp;Steve Jobs, Apple's cofounder and former CEO.</p>
<p>Jobs' "look" was part of his identity and the identity of the company.&nbsp;<span>The black mock turtleneck and jeans became as iconic to Apple's brand as the company's white earbuds or the famous logo of an apple with a bite missing.</span></p>
<p><span>Jobs appreciated&nbsp;the power of fashion. He chose to wear the same thing everyday both for its convenience and its ability to convey a message. He once even asked&nbsp;famous&nbsp;</span><span>designer Issey Miyake to create special uniforms for Apple employees, according to the</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1501127624/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr="><span>&nbsp;</span>biography of Jobs by Walter Isaacson</a><span>&nbsp;(Jobs abandoned the idea after employees raised hackles).&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span>I can only guess at Ahrendts' motivations when she got dressed Tuesday morning. There are some obvious conclusions to draw, though: San Francisco's climate is temperate, and often only calls for a light jacket, so a lace trench coat would suffice. And as former CEO of Burberry, she probably still has affection for the brand and its signature product, the trench coat. She <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=angela+ahrendts+trench+coat&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=isch&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjJzaPr8KfWAhUExxQKHSxzCbAQ_AUICigB&amp;biw=1338&amp;bih=960" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">owns several</a>, and seems to wear them often.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span><img style="float:right;" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/59bc276138d20d7f378b6547-1996/96985825.jpg" alt="Angela Ahrendts" data-mce-source="Getty / Ian Gavan" />As for her larger motivations, I have some ideas.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span>As head of Apple's entire global retail presence, Ahrendts has an unspoken responsibility to have great taste. She's responsible for putting Apple's products in their best light, for getting people to walk into a physical retail space (no easy feat these days), and for deciding the look and feel of the stores. </span></p>
<p><span>So what Ahrendts' outfits&nbsp;need to project is an air of competence, stylishness, approachability, luxury, and a dash of futurism. At the Apple event, she knew she was going to be the only female presenter on stage, she's familiar with her colleagues' fashion sense &mdash; or lack thereof &mdash; and she's aware that she's one of the most important women in tech, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fabulous-life-of-angela-ahrendts-2015-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the highest-paid one</a> at that. So&nbsp;</span><span>Ahrendts chose an outfit that was feminine and powerful; fashionable and forward-thinking.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span>Ahrendts' clothes are not the most important thing about her (although she is a particularly fashionable woman). They'll never be more important than the things she says, or the work she does at Apple. </span></p>
<p><span>But when it comes to powerful people, it's not only acceptable, it's <em>important</em> to notice what they're wearing.&nbsp;The belief that a person like Ahrendts throws on any old thing before an event, and that what she wears doesn't influence how others perceive her, is a naive&nbsp;point of view.</span></p>
<p><span>In situations like these, clothes say the things the person doesn't, or can't, put into words. Pay attention.&nbsp;</span></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sneakers-worn-by-tech-execs-2017-5" >Silicon Valley's ultimate status symbol is the sneaker — here are the rare, expensive, and goofy sneakers worn by the top tech CEOs</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/angela-ahrendts-pink-burberry-coat-why-it-matters-2017-9#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-the-best-novels-will-be-written-by-ai-in-the-future-bjorn-schuller-2018-3">AI will soon write better novels than humans, according to a computer scientist</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-siri-division-now-reports-to-craig-federighi-not-eddy-cue-2017-9Siri has a new boss (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-siri-division-now-reports-to-craig-federighi-not-eddy-cue-2017-9
Fri, 01 Sep 2017 12:23:40 -0400Kif Leswing
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/59a9843c79bbfd1e008b76d9-1625/gettyimages-539904342.jpg" alt="Craig Federighi" data-mce-source="Getty" /></p><p>There's a new executive in charge of Apple's AI assistant, Siri.</p>
<p><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/AAPL-Quote">Apple</a> updated <a href="https://www.apple.com/leadership/">its leadership page</a> on Friday with new profiles for <a href="https://www.apple.com/leadership/isabel-ge-mahe/">China managing director Isabel Ge Mahe</a>, and Deirdre O'Brien, <a href="https://www.apple.com/leadership/deirdre-obrien/">Apple's new head of HR</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>But the update also revealed a shift in the executive who's leading Siri, which is widely seen as one of Apple's key technologies. Now Apple's Siri efforts are&nbsp;being <a href="https://www.apple.com/leadership/craig-federighi/">led by software SVP Craig Federighi</a>, instead of online services SVP Eddy Cue, who had previously led its development, according to official corporate bios.</p>
<p>"Craig oversees the development of iOS, macOS, and Siri. His teams are responsible for delivering the software at the heart of Apple&rsquo;s innovative products, including the user interface, applications and frameworks," according to Federighi's bio.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The change highlights the increasing importance of AI and so-called intelligent&nbsp;assistants like Siri as the top tech companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Facebook all ramp up their own efforts. Earlier this week Microsoft and Amazon announced plans to let their respective intelligent assistants, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-alexa-and-microsoft-cortana-how-it-works-and-why-2017-8">Cortana and Alexa, talk to each other.</a> And many observers believe that the emerging crop of voice-based assistants could become the next platform for personal computing.</p>
<h2>Siri's many&nbsp;bosses</h2>
<p>Apple bought Siri in 2010, for an estimated price of around $200 million, and it first debuted on the iPhone 4S in 2011. When the Siri team&nbsp;was first integrated into Apple, it was under the domain of Scott Forstall, who led the software development&nbsp;for the iPhone and iPad until he left Apple in 2012.&nbsp;</p>
<p>A Siri co-founder left Apple around that time and started a competitor, Viv, which was <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/05/samsung-acquires-viv-a-next-gen-ai-assistant-built-by-creators-of-apples-siri/">eventually bought by Samsung</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/564259969dd7cc03308bda1b-709/tim cook eddy cue.jpg" alt="tim cook eddy cue" data-mce-source="Bloomberg/Getty" data-mce-caption="Tim Cook and Eddy Cue, senior vice president of internet software and services at Apple, during the sales launch for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus at the Apple Inc. store in Palo Alto, California, U.S., in 2014." />A line about overseeing Siri was removed from <a href="https://www.apple.com/leadership/eddy-cue/">Cue's bio</a>. He was quoted <a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/08/an-exclusive-look-at-how-ai-and-machine-learning-work-at-apple/">discussing the Siri group</a> in a Backchannel&nbsp;story from last August.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This is the second major project that's been taken off of Cue's plate. For many years, Cue was a dealmaker for iTunes and other content and online services, but in the CEO Tim Cook era, his responsibilities expanded to overseeing software groups as well, including Apple Maps and Apple Music.&nbsp;</p>
<p>But in 2015, he stopped overseeing Apple's App Store, a big platform that drives many of Apple's services revenue, which totalled $7.3 billion for the last quarter. Now that's <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151217005377/en/Apple-Names-Jeff-Williams-Chief-Operating-Officer">headed up by marketing SVP Phil Schiller</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Siri is a difficult engineering project, one that requires regular software updates and massive infrastructure expertise, two aspects of technology that have not historically been seen as Apple's strengths. Early adopters were often frustrated with Siri's shortcomings. But Apple has improved Siri with&nbsp;new advances in machine learning and AI over the past few years.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2017/09/01/craig-federighi-head-of-siri-development/">MacRumors reports</a> that the transition from Cue to Federighi &nbsp;"has been apparent for several months," as Federighi was the executive who revealed new Siri improvements at Apple's most recent annual developer's conference.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-event-preview-iphone-8-apple-watch-apple-tv-2017-8" >Everything we're expecting Apple to launch on September 12</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-siri-division-now-reports-to-craig-federighi-not-eddy-cue-2017-9#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cut-cable-directv-now-streaming-cord-cutting-youtube-tv-hulu-sling-2018-3">I quit cable for DirecTV Now and it's saving me over $1,000 a year — here's how I did it</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-eddy-cue-television-2016-10Apple's TV boss: 'Television needs to be reinvented' (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-eddy-cue-television-2016-10
Thu, 20 Oct 2016 15:03:28 -0400Kif Leswing
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/580913ba8d83b41f008b5d2a-2400/gettyimages-615861066.jpg" alt="Eddy Cue" data-mce-source="Getty" /></p><p>Apple's head of internet software and services Eddy Cue discussed the problems with the current television landscape during an interview at Vanity Fair's conference in San Francisco on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>
<p>It's particularly notable because Cue leads Apple's television efforts, including its Apple TV and the shows currently available through iTunes.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"I do think television needs to be reinvented. Today, you live with a glorified VCR," Cue said. "The problem is the interface."</p>
<p>"It&rsquo;s really hard to use [a cable box or satellite TV]. Setting something to record, if you didn&rsquo;t watch something last night, if you didn&rsquo;t set it to record, it&rsquo;s hard to find, it may not be available. There may be some rights issues," Cue said.</p>
<p>"It's great to be able to tell your device, 'I wanna watch the Duke basketball game, I don&rsquo;t care what channel it&rsquo;s on.' I just want to watch the Duke basketball game. Today you got to bring in the TV, go through the guide, find which sports programs or whatever &mdash; it&rsquo;s just hard to do."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/apples-hard-charging-tactics-hurt-tv-expansion-1469721330">Since 2009</a>, Cue had led on-and-off negotiations with content owners to build an Apple-made live TV package that would be delivered over the internet to Apple devices. But those talks fell through &mdash; some media insiders reportedly blame Cue's negotiating style &mdash; and now Apple's plan is to create <a href="http://www.recode.net/2016/8/4/12379572/apple-tv-guide">a digital TV guide</a> that organizes shows and content hidden inside various apps.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Cue's comments seemed to be directly addressing a future in which Apple could organize content from the likes of HBO, Netflix, and ESPN.</p>
<p>Apple is also <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/apples-hard-charging-tactics-hurt-tv-expansion-1469721330">rumored</a> to be interested in making its own high-quality TV shows. Cue did not directly say that was in the company's plans, but he didn't deny it either, and said Apple would have made the popular HBO show "Game of Thrones" if it had the opportunity.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-eddy-cue-television-2016-10#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/att-breakup-1982-directv-bell-system-2018-02">How AT&T conquered all forms of communication after the government forced it to break up</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/james-corden-apple-music-commercial-video-2016-9James Corden stars in an all-new commercial for Apple Music (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/james-corden-apple-music-commercial-video-2016-9
Mon, 19 Sep 2016 12:03:05 -0400Lori Janjigian
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/57e00960077dcc1e008b6b8c-580/screen%20shot%202016-09-19%20at%2011.50.15%20am.png" alt="James Corden Apple Music" data-mce-source="Screenshot/BI"></p><p>James Corden has been on a roll lately. And now, he's starring in his own advertisement for Apple Music.</p>
<p>At Sunday night's Emmy Awards, Corden appeared in Apple Music's two-minute video as part of a new marketing campaign for the <span>$10-a-month subscription service.</span></p>
<p><span> Corden appeared alongside three Apple executives as well: <span>Beats cofounder </span>Jimmy Iovine, Apple's senior vice president of internet software and services Eddy Cue, and Bozoma Saint John, head of marketing at Apple Music. </span></p>
<p><span>Corden's appearance in the advertisement comes with his new partnership with Apple. Back in July, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-music-buys-james-cordens-carpool-karaoke-series-2016-7">Apple Music bought Cordon's "Carpool Karaoke"</a> series, even though the segment will still appear on Corden's "Late Late Show." He also appeared in a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-7-event-tim-cook-carpool-karaoke-2016-9">"Carpool Karaoke" sketch with Apple CEO Tim Cook</a> on his way to Apple's September 7 event. </span></p>
<p><span>Check out the new Apple Music ad with James Corden here:</span></p>
<p><div>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/CQY3KUR3VzM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hissgate-iphone-7-phones-making-weird-hissing-noise-owners-say-buzzgate-2016-9" >Some iPhone 7s are making a weird hissing noise</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/james-corden-apple-music-commercial-video-2016-9#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hearing-voices-in-your-head-real-life-versus-movies-tulpa-psychiatry-2018-2">What it's actually like to hear voices in your head</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/eddy-cue-says-apple-buys-20-to-30-companies-a-year-2016-8Apple bought a lot of startups that we don't even know about (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/eddy-cue-says-apple-buys-20-to-30-companies-a-year-2016-8
Wed, 24 Aug 2016 14:31:36 -0400Kif Leswing
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/57bde3badb5ce925008b8a74-1650/rts56lg.jpg" alt="Tim Cook" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Mike Blake" data-mce-caption="Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during the Wall Street Journal Digital Live ( WSJDLive ) conference at the Montage hotline Laguna Beach, California October 19, 2015." /></p><p>Apple is&nbsp;buying more companies than&nbsp;we thought.</p>
<p>Eddy Cue, Apple's head of internet services,&nbsp;<a href="https://backchannel.com/an-exclusive-look-at-how-ai-and-machine-learning-work-at-apple-8dbfb131932b#.7re109jcn">told Backchannel</a>&nbsp;how Apple buys smaller companies primarily for their talent &mdash; at a relatively prolific rate.</p>
<p><span>A large portion of Apple's&nbsp;talent in artificial intelligence comes from acquisitions.</span></p>
<p><span>"We've recently been buying 20 to 30 companies a year that are relatively small, really hiring the manpower," says Cue.</span></p>
<p><span>Apple has bought a lot of artificial-intelligence companies. Apple recently <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-buys-turi-artificial-intelligence-startup-for-200-million-2016-8">bought&nbsp;Turi</a>, a Seattle-based machine-learning startup founded by a University of Washington professor, for a reported $200 million.</span></p>
<p>But it's not the only one we know about. Other AI companies that Apple has bought recently include Emollient, Perceptio, and VocalIQ.</p>
<h2><span>More than every 4 weeks</span></h2>
<p><span>Apple CEO Tim Cook has been forthright about how acquisitive Apple is.</span></p>
<p><span>"W</span><span>e have been buying companies on average every three to four weeks or so, and we continue to do that," he said during Apple's earnings call in July.</span></p>
<p><span>"We've made 15 acquisitions in the last four quarters to accelerate our product and services roadmaps, and we're always on the lookout for companies with great technology, talent, and strategic fit," he said in April.</span></p>
<p><span>But that's still a long way off from "20 to 30 companies a year."</span></p>
<p><span>Apple doesn't buy companies for revenue, according to Cook. It's looking for talent and intellectual property, he <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/business/wp/2016/08/13/2016/08/13/tim-cook-the-interview-running-apple-is-sort-of-a-lonely-job/">told The Washington Post</a>.</span></p>
<p><span>And because it tends to buy small, technology-focused startups, the deals are usually small enough that it doesn't have to report the acquisitions to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Often the acquisitions go unnoticed&nbsp;for months.</span></p>
<p><span>Earlier this week, <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3062865/tim-cooks-apple/apple-acquires-personal-health-data-startup-gliimpse">Fast Company reported</a> that Apple had bought Gliimpse, a health-data company. The funny thing is, Gliimpse was bought in February,&nbsp;months before anyone outside of Cupertino knew about it. There could be a lot of other Gliimpses out there that Apple has already bought &mdash; especially startups working in hot fields like deep learning or health technology.</span></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-made-at-least-3-mystery-acquisitions-2016-5" >Apple bought companies in the past year that nobody knows about</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/eddy-cue-says-apple-buys-20-to-30-companies-a-year-2016-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-retail-boss-angela-ahrendts-talks-apple-stores-2016-8">Apple retail boss Angela Ahrendts told us how Apple Stores are changing</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-siri-using-neural-networks-2016-8Apple completely changed how Siri works and almost nobody noticed (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-siri-using-neural-networks-2016-8
Wed, 24 Aug 2016 13:06:43 -0400Kif Leswing
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/57bdce3cce38f222008b891e-1929/screen shot 2015-06-05 at 1.38.29 pm.png" alt="apple siri zoe deschanel" data-mce-source="YouTube/Apple" /></p><p>In summer 2014, Apple completely changed how Siri works.</p>
<p>The secretive Cupertino, California, company adapted Siri's voice recognition to use a cutting-edge artificial-intelligence technique called neural networks and switched it over on July 30, 2014, according to an in-depth feature <a href="https://backchannel.com/an-exclusive-look-at-how-ai-and-machine-learning-work-at-apple-8dbfb131932b#.7re109jcn">by Steven Levy</a> of Backchannel.</p>
<p>Neural networks is a type of AI inspired by the human brain that has become especially useful thanks to today's powerful computers. Before that, Siri recognized human voices using more rudimentary AI techniques that have been around for decades.</p>
<p>It was the biggest change to Siri since it launched in 2011. And almost nobody noticed &mdash; there wasn't any press coverage beyond a few people <a href="http://www.wired.com/2014/06/siri_ai/">noticing</a> that Apple had begun hiring neural-networks experts. And to users, Siri continued to work the same. It just was better at understanding what you said.</p>
<p>"This was one of those things where the jump was so significant that you do the test again to make sure that somebody didn't drop a decimal place," Eddy Cue, Apple's internet services boss, <a href="https://backchannel.com/an-exclusive-look-at-how-ai-and-machine-learning-work-at-apple-8dbfb131932b#.7re109jcn">told Backchannel</a>.</p>
<p>In fact, Siri made half as many errors using the new neural network than it had before, according to Alex Acero, who leads the Siri speech team. "The error rate has been cut by a factor of two in all the languages, more than a factor of two in many cases," Acero said.</p>
<p>Apple has been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/flaw-with-apples-attempt-to-catch-google-2016-6">criticized</a> recently for seemingly falling behind rivals like Alphabet, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon at emerging AI techniques like neural networks, which is presumably why it opened the kimono and gave Levy access to many of its top AI experts.</p>
<p>The feature reveals several interesting facts about Apple's AI operations, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>The entire size of the "AI brain" on an iPhone is about 200 MB.</li>
<li>Apple's buying a ton of small AI companies as acqui-hires &mdash; 20 to 30 companies a year, according to Cue.</li>
<li>Apple has decided to use graphics processing units for its AI. Other companies <a href="https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2016/08/16/correcting-some-mistakes/">like Intel</a> and <a href="https://gigaom.com/2015/02/23/microsoft-is-building-fast-low-power-neural-networks-with-fpgas/">Microsoft</a> are pushing different approaches.</li>
<li>Apple tends not to hire established researchers for its AI efforts, instead hiring smart people and having them learn the techniques at Apple.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><a href="https://backchannel.com/an-exclusive-look-at-how-ai-and-machine-learning-work-at-apple-8dbfb131932b#.7re109jcn">The entire read, on Backchannel, is illuminating and worth your time &raquo;</a></strong></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/flaw-with-apples-attempt-to-catch-google-2016-6" >Apple is trying to fight Google's artificial intelligence with one hand tied behind its back</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-siri-using-neural-networks-2016-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-first-computer-programmer-2018-3">How a woman from the 1800s became the first computer programmer</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-executives-explain-reasoning-behind-their-secrecy-2016-8Apple’s explanation for its secrecy is a thinly veiled jab at its biggest competitors (AAPL, GOOG, FB)http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-executives-explain-reasoning-behind-their-secrecy-2016-8
Wed, 10 Aug 2016 19:03:00 -0400Steve Kovach
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/57ab913adb5ce963008b5f72-2400/gettyimages-539907400.jpg" alt="Eddy Cue" data-mce-source="Getty" /></p><p>If there's one negative theme that follows Apple more than anything, it's&nbsp;the&nbsp;odd expectation that it should be pumping out some kind of world-changing, breakthrough product every four years or so. Otherwise, the company is hosed.</p>
<p>While Google, Facebook, Amazon, and other rivals are pumping out futuristic&nbsp;product categories and products ranging from speakers infused with artificial intelligence to autonomous drones that beam the internet from the sky, Apple's product portfolio feels stuck&nbsp;in the present.</p>
<p>But there's something critics often miss. Unlike some of its&nbsp;rivals, Apple is allergic to discussing its future plans until it feels confident they're polished enough to be shown in&nbsp;a well orchestrated product unveiling.</p>
<p>That philosophy was perfectly illustrated in a recent interview Apple senior vice president <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3062596/tim-cooks-apple/eddie-cue-and-craig-federighi-open-up-about-learning-from-apples-failures">Eddy Cue gave to Fast Company</a>. And it's a thinly veiled jab at Apple's rivals that constantly release half-baked technologies.</p>
<p>Here's Cue, emphasis ours:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">We don&rsquo;t want to tell the world what we want to solve, what we&rsquo;re trying to solve. Why? Because we haven&rsquo;t solved it. Other than trying to make ourselves look cool or good, what&rsquo;s the purpose of that? I don&rsquo;t understand that part of it. So, yeah, there are a bunch of things we&rsquo;re working on that we&rsquo;d like to solve&mdash;some we&rsquo;ve been working on for years and we haven&rsquo;t solved, for that matter. <strong>I don&rsquo;t feel like we should be tooting our own horns that we&rsquo;re trying to solve that problem, when we haven&rsquo;t really solved it.</strong></p>
<p>So it may seem like Apple is only modestly iterating on iPhones, iPads, and Macs every year, but behind the scenes it's working on a lot of other "problems" as well.&nbsp;We just won't see the results of that work until Apple believes it's&nbsp;ready.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, we've seen a string of headline-grabbing technologies from other companies this year that hold little promise, don't work well, or have no clear direction.</p>
<p>Facebook's Oculus VR headset is great for hardcore gamers willing to spend $1,000 or more on a high-end PC, but the company has been fuzzy about what it can do next with the technology. Social networking? Movies? Shopping? It's all of the above! Or some of the above. Who knows?</p>
<p>Chatbots were another buzzy technology trumpeted by Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and others this spring under the unproven assumption people&nbsp;would rather text with a computer to book a flight or buy flowers. So far, those experiments are off to a rocky start.</p>
<p>And finally, there's AI, which following Google's I/O conference in June <a href="https://marco.org/2016/05/21/avoiding-blackberrys-fate">caused some to question Apple's longevity</a> if it doesn't catch up in the space. (I later reported that <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/how-apples-vocaliq-ai-works-2016-5">Apple is sitting on some really impressive AI tech</a>.) But it's way too early for any one company to claim it's winning the space or to prove that AI has fundamentally changed how we use technology.</p>
<p>Cue's comments were a jab at all the half-baked tech we've seen Apple's rivals introduce over the years, from Google Glass to the Amazon Fire Phone.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, you'd be insane to think Apple's not noodling with everything from augmented reality to driverless cars in its R&amp;D labs.<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/579bb34e88e4a7d9068bbcb2-1200/and-now-the-most-important-and-interesting-slide-of-the-bunch-this-shows-apples-spending-on-research-and-development-by-quarter-since-cook-took-over.jpg" alt="and now the most important and interesting slide of the bunch this shows apples spending on research and development by quarter since cook took over" data-mce-source="Business Insider" /></p>
<p>In fact, Apple's R&amp;D spending has never been higher, and as independent analyst Neil Cybart <a href="http://www.aboveavalon.com/notes/2016/5/11/apple-rd-reveals-a-pivot-is-coming">wrote a few months ago</a>, that spending hints at a huge pivot coming for the company, likely in transportation.</p>
<p>In Cue's words, so much of what we've seen from Apple's competitors&nbsp;just look "cool or good." Apple waits until its cool stuff actually solves a problem before releasing it.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-secrecy-obsession-is-a-problem-2016-7" >There's a bull case for Apple, but the company won't tell you about it</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-executives-explain-reasoning-behind-their-secrecy-2016-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-messaging-tricks-apple-smartphone-tech-mute-location-forward-2016-3">How to send self-destructing messages — and other iPhone messaging tricks</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ceo-tim-cook-talks-about-apple-maps-fiasco-2016-8How the Apple Maps fiasco changed Apple (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ceo-tim-cook-talks-about-apple-maps-fiasco-2016-8
Mon, 08 Aug 2016 09:21:55 -0400Kif Leswing
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5632a2fcbd86ef1d5d8baba9-1586/rts56lg.jpg" alt="Tim Cook" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Mike Blake" data-mce-caption="Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during the Wall Street Journal Digital Live ( WSJDLive ) conference at the Montage hotline Laguna Beach, California October 19, 2015." /></p><p>Perhaps the most poorly received Apple product launch of the last five years was Apple Maps, the Google Maps competitor that quickly became a punchline after it was released in 2012.</p>
<p>Eventually, the company fired the executive in charge, and Apple CEO Tim Cook <a href="http://www.apple.com/ca/letter-from-tim-cook-on-maps/">was forced to apologize</a>.</p>
<p>The episode still haunts the company, according to a story <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3062090/tim-cooks-apple/playing-the-long-game-inside-tim-cooks-apple">in Fast Company</a> that includes interviews with Cook, Senior Vice President Eddy Cue, and Senior Vice President Craig Federighi &mdash; three of Apple's most powerful execs.</p>
<p>"We made significant changes to all of our development processes because of it," Cue said. He now runs Maps.</p>
<p>"We needed to develop competencies that we initially didn't appreciate," Federighi, who leads software engineering, told Fast Company.</p>
<p>One of the problems for Apple was that it built products centered on big launch dates &mdash; like the release of a new iPhone or version of MacOS.</p>
<p>But internet services like Maps or Siri require a development cycle in which the product is constantly updated and improved &mdash; something that Apple didn't have a lot of experience with. One example of the change: Now users can beta-test iPhone and Mac software, which allows Apple to fix bugs before it launches to a billion users.</p>
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/575ecad352bcd020008c8a8a-750/google and apple maps 7.png" alt="Google and Apple Maps 7" data-mce-source="Justin O'Beirne" data-link="http://www.justinobeirne.com/essay/cartography-comparison" />"To all of us living in Cupertino, the maps for here were pretty darn good," Cue said. "So [the problem] wasn't obvious to us. We were never able to take it out to a large number of users to get that feedback. Now we do."</p>
<p>"The most important thing is: Do you have the courage to admit that you&rsquo;re wrong? And do you change?" Cook told <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3062090/tim-cooks-apple/playing-the-long-game-inside-tim-cooks-apple">Fast Company</a>.</p>
<p>Apple has doubled-down on Maps since then. Apple believes that Maps is a "core organizing structure" and sees it as a foundation for future products &mdash; perhaps a self-driving car &mdash; just as&nbsp;it sees its base of installed iPhones.</p>
<p>And Maps never would've had that opportunity to change Apple's development culture if the company hadn't been totally embarrassed by the consumer reaction.</p>
<p>"These things mean a lot to us, we work really hard, and so you're embarrassed. We had completely underestimated the product, the complexity of it," Cue said.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-maps-vs-apple-maps-key-difference-2016-6" >This is the key difference between Google Maps and Apple Maps</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ceo-tim-cook-talks-about-apple-maps-fiasco-2016-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-first-computer-programmer-2018-3">How a woman from the 1800s became the first computer programmer</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-eddy-cue-blew-tv-deals-2016-7Apple’s arrogance is hurting its big TV plans (AAPL, TWC, CMCSA)http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-eddy-cue-blew-tv-deals-2016-7
Thu, 28 Jul 2016 18:30:00 -0400Kif Leswing
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/564259969dd7cc03308bda1b-709/tim cook eddy cue.jpg" alt="tim cook eddy cue" data-mce-source="Bloomberg/Getty" data-mce-caption="Tim Cook and Eddy Cue, senior vice president of internet software and services at Apple, during the sales launch for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus at the Apple Inc. store in Palo Alto, California, U.S., in 2014." /></p><p>Apple had planned to launch a live-TV service along with its newest Apple TV last year, but negotiations with content providers reportedly fell through.</p>
<p>It sounds like the deals fell through because Apple online-services boss and content dealmaker Eddy Cue was viewed as&nbsp;arrogant during negotiations from 2011 to 2015, according to TV executives <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/apples-hard-charging-tactics-hurt-tv-expansion-1469721330">interviewed by The Wall Street Journal</a>.</p>
<p>Cue apparently showed up late to negotiations with Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, wearing jeans, no socks, and a Hawaiian shirt.&nbsp;</p>
<p>One Time Warner executive&nbsp;<span>&ldquo;kept looking at the Apple guys like: &lsquo;Do you have any idea how this industry works?&rsquo;&rdquo;</span></p>
<p>When asked how Apple TV software would work, Apple reportedly refused to describe it, former Time Warner executives said. Instead, Apple only said that it would be "better than anything you've ever had."</p>
<p>Of course, there were disagreements on terms as well. Apparently Apple wanted $10 a&nbsp;month per subscriber from the cable networks, and it&nbsp;wanted to handle the experience through its Apple ID logins.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Later, during negotiations with Disney &mdash; whose CEO, Bob Iger, is on Apple's board &mdash; Apple wanted a "several year" freeze on the monthly rate it would pay to license channels like ESPN.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Apparently, Apple believed Disney's programming was only worth&nbsp;$13 a&nbsp;month.</p>
<p>The one network that Apple agreed on a rate with was Fox, for Fox News and some sports channels. (CEO Tim Cook was spotted chatting with Rupert Murdoch at a conference last fall.)</p>
<p>But Cue and Cook are apparently unbowed. Cue reportedly told media executives that "time is on my side" and executives sum up his negotiating style as, "we're Apple." &nbsp;</p>
<p>In the meantime, Apple has been funding television shows, including a reality show called "Planet of the Apps," a show featuring Beats founder Dr. Dre, and a spinoff of CBS's "Carpool Karaoke." Apple also apparently bid on a spinoff of the British car show "Top Gear."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/apples-hard-charging-tactics-hurt-tv-expansion-1469721330">The Wall Street Journal report is a fantastic read</a> if you're interested in how Apple blew its chance to launch a streaming-TV service.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-exec-eddy-cue-loves-basketball-2016-5" >Top Apple exec Eddy Cue really, really likes basketball</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-eddy-cue-blew-tv-deals-2016-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-ios-android-annoying-problem-2016-6">The most annoying thing about the iPhone isn't changing anytime soon</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-thinks-about-tv-like-a-tech-company-2016-7Apple's TV boss thinks tech can fix television, and that could be a big mistake (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-thinks-about-tv-like-a-tech-company-2016-7
Thu, 14 Jul 2016 15:42:00 -0400Nathan McAlone
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/532cabd069beddcd79f33da5-2400/tim-cook-eddy-cue-8.jpg" alt="tim cook eddy cue" data-mce-source="Getty Images" /></p><p>In an interview published Thursday, Apple SVP Eddy Cue talked to <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/eddy-cue-apples-tv-plans-910093?utm_source=twitter">The Hollywood Reporter</a> about Apple's ambitions in TV. His answers&nbsp;made it clear that Apple thinks about TV very much like a tech company.</p>
<p>This isn't necessarily a good thing.</p>
<p>When Cue talked about people's frustration with big, 100+ channel cable bundles, he characterized it as a tech problem.</p>
<p>"<span>I think it's a misconception," <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/eddy-cue-apples-tv-plans-910093?utm_source=twitter">he said</a>. "[With 'skinny bundle' small packages] most people, at the end of the day, end up paying more, not less, for the things they love." </span></p>
<p><span>The problem isn't with the big bundle, but with the features you are getting with it, according to Cue.</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>They're not getting the features that they want," <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/eddy-cue-apples-tv-plans-910093?utm_source=twitter">he continued</a>. "The fact that I have to set things to record seems idiotic. And channel guides &mdash; I get home and I want to watch a Duke basketball game; why do I have to go hunting to find out what channel it's on? ... Those technical capabilities exist today. They just don't exist for television."</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>So for Cue, the problem with TV is a technical, and it can be solved by Apple TV.</span></span></p>
<h2><strong>Programmers versus screenwriters</strong></h2>
<p>Later in the interview, Cue makes the argument that being a programmer, at its core, is like being a screenwriter.</p>
<p>"<span>At the end of the day when you're writing code, you start with a blank screen, and when you're writing a script you start with a blank piece of paper," <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/eddy-cue-apples-tv-plans-910093?utm_source=twitter">he said</a>. "You need to be creative, so the process is actually somewhat similar. But for some reason people haven't looked at it that way."</span></p>
<p><span>Both these sentiments show how much Apple is still a tech company when dealing with TV. Cue&nbsp;not only sees the fundamental problem of the current TV model as a tech one, but also sees the creative processes of producing a hit TV show and a hit app as inherently similar.</span></p>
<p><span>You can agree or disagree with both of these statements, but taken together they suggest that Apple doesn't think it has to change its DNA to succeed in the media business. And that kind of thinking could hurt the company if it makes Apple unwilling to adapt its process to suit a totally new type of business.</span></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-web-browser-for-watching-netflix-2016-7" >The best browser for watching Netflix isn't Chrome or Firefox</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-thinks-about-tv-like-a-tech-company-2016-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-underrated-unknown-netflix-tv-shows-2016-5">The 7 best TV shows on Netflix you've probably never heard of</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-vp-eddy-cue-discusses-future-of-tv-2016-7When will Apple stop talking about the future of TV and actually build it? (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-vp-eddy-cue-discusses-future-of-tv-2016-7
Thu, 14 Jul 2016 13:36:00 -0400Steve Kovach
<p>Last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook the stage at the company's annual fall product launch event and boldly stated the company's new position along with the launch of an updated Apple TV:</p>
<p>"The future of TV is apps."</p>
<p><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/562685d4dd0895d56f8b4569-2400/ap_330915614631.jpg" alt="tim cook apple tv apps" data-mce-source="AP" />Ten months later, very little has changed.</p>
<p>The Apple TV has all the standard streaming apps you'd expect: Netflix, HBO GO/Now, Hulu, and YouTube. But none of those apps have fundamentally transformed&nbsp;the way we watch TV. In fact, traditional networks with Apple TV apps still require you to log in through your cable provider before you can start streaming.</p>
<p>The "future of TV" feels a lot like it did six years ago.</p>
<p>On Thursday, Apple's senior vice president in charge of services and media deals Eddy Cue&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/eddy-cue-apples-tv-plans-910093">gave an interview to The Hollywood Reporter</a> about the company's media business. He said the Apple TV is the perfect platform for anyone (including Apple) to build the future of TV.</p>
<p>"What we're trying to do is build the platform that allows anybody to get content to consumers. If a Time Warner [Cable] or a DirecTV wants to offer a bundle themselves, they should do it through Apple TV and iPad and iPhone," Cue told THR.</p>
<p>Yet, Apple hasn't built it. Others, like Dish's Sling TV, have made modest attempts to deliver live TV over the internet, but those services are severely limited compared to what you get with cable. Many channels, especially networks like CBS and ABC are missing. There's no on-demand or recording option. It's been <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/sling-tv-goes-down-for-fear-the-walking-dead-2015-8">plagued by glitches</a>.</p>
<p>Apple was reportedly working on a streaming skinny bundle service similar to Sling TV's last year, but the project has stalled over negotiations with networks. (CBS CEO Leslie Moonves <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-tv-cable-bundles-on-hold-2015-12">admitted as much in an interview</a> during Business Insider's IGNITION conference&nbsp;last December.)</p>
<p>Yet in the THR interview, Cue says he's not a fan of the skinny bundle because it limits the viewer's options. Instead, he thinks there needs to be a platform that works better than traditional cable guides that help you find what you want to watch, sort of like Netflix, and claims cable companies aren't doing that. Want to watch the Mets game? You should be able to ask your TV for it instead of poking around a clunky interface.</p>
<p>To be fair, Comcast's new X1 platform does a lot of what Cue describes, and it's pretty impressive. It sounds like Apple had similar plans for internet TV before the project fell through.</p>
<p>Apple has been teasing the future of TV for years. In 2014, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-tim-cook-says-tv-is-stuck-in-the-70s-2014-9">Cook told Charlie Rose</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;he felt like the TV experience was "stuck back in the 70s."&nbsp;Since then, we've seen very little from Apple to deliver on that subtle promise to change TV.</p>
<p>The new Apple TV is a great device, and could be a promising platform to build on, but no one, not even Apple, is doing it. Apple even scrapped plans to build its own television set, <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/behind-apples-move-to-shelve-tv-plans-1431992617">according to The Wall Street Journal</a>.&nbsp;Instead, all we're getting is a lot of talk and empty promises.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Apple is great at talking about the future of TV, but it hasn't delivered.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tech-leaders-write-scathing-letter-against-trump-2016-7" >More than 140 tech leaders agree: 'Trump would be a disaster for innovation'</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-vp-eddy-cue-discusses-future-of-tv-2016-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-tv-single-sign-on-2016-6">This new feature makes Apple TV so much easier to use</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/eddy-cue-on-apple-tv-in-hollywood-reporter-2016-7Apple's TV boss isn't a 'big fan' of internet-TV packages (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/eddy-cue-on-apple-tv-in-hollywood-reporter-2016-7
Thu, 14 Jul 2016 10:53:00 -0400Kif Leswing
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/542de6afecad04bf598e9c34-2097/eddy-cue-apple-7.jpg" alt="Eddy Cue Apple" data-mce-source="AP" /></p><p>Apple Senior Vice President&nbsp;Eddy Cue&nbsp;is Apple's most "Hollywood" executive.&nbsp;</p>
<p>He spends five to six days in Los Angeles a&nbsp;month, checking in on Apple's music office there and taking meetings with Hollywood dealmakers.</p>
<p>In <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/eddy-cue-apples-tv-plans-910093?utm_source=twitter">a Hollywood Reporter interview</a> published on Thursday, Cue talks&nbsp;about what former CEO Steve Jobs taught him about Hollywood, how Apple Music is fighting against Spotify, and why the tech giant would never buy a studio.&nbsp;</p>
<p>But perhaps his most interesting answer was about the Apple TV.</p>
<p>Cue&nbsp;spearheaded the set-top box's development, and it was widely rumored that he&nbsp;was looking to put together a live-TV-streaming service to coincide with the device's launch, but the deals reportedly didn't come together in time.&nbsp;</p>
<p>When asked if Apple would put together its own streaming-TV service, Cue told the Hollywood Reporter&nbsp;(emphasis added):&nbsp;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>"Whether we're providing it or somebody else is, it really doesn't matter to us. What we're trying to do is build the platform that allows anybody to get content to consumers. If a Time Warner [Cable] or a DirecTV wants to offer a bundle themselves, they should do it through Apple TV and iPad and iPhone. <strong>As a matter of fact, I'm not a big fan of the skinny bundle.</strong>"<strong><br /></strong></span></p>
<p><span>What makes this answer interesting is that the first "skinny bundle" that works with the Apple TV was announced one month ago.</span></p>
<p><span>A skinny bundle is a package of TV channels, usually about 10 to 20 channels, sold directly to consumers over the internet without requiring them to sign up for cable. A great example is Dish's Sling package &mdash; which was highlighted onstage in June at Apple's annual developer conference, by Cue himself.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span>"Sling, which offers a great selection of live cable channels, is coming to Apple TV today," Cue said last month.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span>Cue also talks about how&nbsp;he thinks the TV experience can be improved. In particular, he doesn't like channel guides or cable boxes and wants to be able to talk to his television, like what's possible with Apple TV's Siri.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span><span>"The problem with [TV]&nbsp;is the way that we end up consuming it &mdash; generally a cable box. A satellite receiver is, to me, nothing more than a glorified VCR," Cue told The Hollywood Reporter.</span><br /></span></p>
<p><span><span>There's more&nbsp;great color in the full interview, like the fact that Cue drives a Tesla, and several photos of his sports-memorabilia-covered office at Apple headquarters.&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/eddy-cue-apples-tv-plans-910093?utm_source=twitter">Read the whole interview over at The Hollywood Reporter.</a></span></span></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/eddy-cue-on-apple-tv-in-hollywood-reporter-2016-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-ios-android-annoying-problem-2016-6">The most annoying thing about the iPhone isn't changing anytime soon</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-exec-eddy-cue-loves-basketball-2016-5Top Apple exec Eddy Cue really, really likes basketball (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-exec-eddy-cue-loves-basketball-2016-5
Tue, 31 May 2016 10:50:00 -0400Rob Price
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/574da442dd08955c2e8b45f4-790/tim%20cook%20eddy%20cue.jpg" alt="tim cook eddy cue" data-mce-source="Bloomberg/Getty" data-mce-caption="Tim Cook and Eddy Cue, senior vice president of internet software and services at Apple, during the sales launch for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus at the Apple Inc. store in Palo Alto, California, U.S., in 2014."></p><p></p>
<p>This is Eddy Cue.</p>
<p>Eddy Cue is the senior vice president of internet software and sales at Apple.</p>
<p>He also likes basketball. How much does Eddy Cue like basketball?</p>
<p><div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Warriors?src=hash">#Warriors</a> comeback completed! Check out today's front page. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DubNation?src=hash">#DubNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/lAG1GFulCv">pic.twitter.com/lAG1GFulCv</a> </p>— SFChronicle (@sfchronicle) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/737641558174928904">May 31, 2016</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></p>
<p>It turns out that Eddy Cue <em>really</em> likes basketball.</p>
<p>On May 30, the Golden State Warriors played the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA playoffs. The Warriors won 96-88, with Stephen Curry helping the team pull off what is being referred to as <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/how-stephen-curry-and-the-warriors-pulled-off-one-of-the-nba-s-great-comebacks-080614683.html">"one of the NBA's great comebacks."</a> Eddy Cue was there, and even made the front page of The San Francisco Chronicle.</p>
<p>Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of environment, policy, and social initiatives, is also a fan.</p>
<p><div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">
<a href="https://twitter.com/cue">@cue</a> helping out last nightl!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/warriors">@warriors</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DubNation?src=hash">#DubNation</a> SF Chronicle front page - San Francisco Chronicle <a href="https://t.co/UkRDvRPin9">https://t.co/UkRDvRPin9</a> </p>— Lisa P. Jackson (@lisapjackson) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/737639885104807940">May 31, 2016</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-exec-eddy-cue-loves-basketball-2016-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-apple-iphone-5c-models-san-bernardino-2016-42016-4">The FBI says it now has the ability to unlock iPhone 5C models</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-wanted-to-buy-time-warner-bros-hbo-cnn-report-2016-5REPORT: Apple explored buying Time Warner (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-wanted-to-buy-time-warner-bros-hbo-cnn-report-2016-5
Thu, 26 May 2016 07:57:11 -0400Rob Price
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5746eedfdd089515598b465e-2743-2057/gettyimages-476371826.jpg" alt="Apple CEO Tim Cook and Eddy Cue" data-mce-source="Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Apple CEO Tim Cook and Eddy Cue" /></p><p>Apple explored the idea of making a bid to buy Time Warner, <a href="https://next.ft.com/content/a3bf618a-22ec-11e6-9d4d-c11776a5124d">according to a new report from the Financial Times</a>, as the company looks to make a significant push into the content business.</p>
<p>The Cupertino, California-based technology giant's senior vice president of software and services, Eddy Cue, apparently suggested the idea at a meeting at the end of last year with Time Warner's head of corporate strategy, Olaf Olafsson.</p>
<p>The FT bases its report on three anonymous people "briefed" on the subject. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p>
<p>The acquisition would have given Apple access to a $60 billion multimedia content empire, including CNN, HBO, and Warner Bros.</p>
<p>It doesn't sound as if the proposal got very far: The discussions were apparently only ever at a "preliminary stage," and the companies' CEOs did not get involved. And Cue suggested it at a meeting between the two companies to discuss other matters.</p>
<p>But it nonetheless illustrates that Apple is at least thinking about significantly ramping up its commitment to content to accompany its apps and hardware products.</p>
<p>Apple has historically distinguished itself through the sophistication of its consumer hardware and accompanying bundled software. But sales of the iPhone &mdash; its chief revenue driver &mdash; are slowing, forcing the company to look elsewhere to maintain growth. One key area is subscription services, which further tie users into the ecosystem.</p>
<p>Last year Apple launched one such service, Apple Music, a subscription-supported music-streaming app. One source told the FT that Apple was willing to spend "several hundred million dollars a year" on content &mdash; so Apple Music is most likely just the start.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-wanted-to-buy-time-warner-bros-hbo-cnn-report-2016-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-investment-billion-uber-car-lyft-china-app-2016-5">Apple invested $1 billion in this Chinese company</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-meeting-with-podcasters-about-frustrations-2016-5Apple had a meeting with frustrated podcasters (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-meeting-with-podcasters-about-frustrations-2016-5
Sat, 07 May 2016 12:16:56 -0400Alexei Oreskovic
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/513cfc416bb3f7483a000009-5616-3744/ap110202032535.jpg" alt="apple vice president eddy cue announcing the daily for ipad" data-mce-source="AP" /></p><p>Podcasters are frustrated with the way Apple treats the producers of the popular audio format, and the situation has gotten to the point where Apple and the top podcasters held a special meeting&nbsp;to try to resolve some of the issues, according to&nbsp;a report in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/business/media/podcasts-surge-apple.html?ref=technology">New York Times by John Herrman</a>.</p>
<p>Apple invited a group of &nbsp;seven top podcasters to its headquarters, said the report, citing anonymous sources. &nbsp;The podcasters reportedly discussed in "frank terms" their biggest issues to a roomful of Apple employees. Eddy Cue, Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services, met with&nbsp;Apple employees&nbsp;in a subsequent closed-door meeting, according to the report.&nbsp;</p>
<p>According to the New York Times, the main grievances of podcasters are:</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Lack of ability for podcasters to make money through subscription downloads</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Insufficient analytic data about podcasts, such as listener counts and listener duration</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Apple has only a single point-person that all podcasters must contact to deal with any issues</span></li>
</ul>
<p>The podcast format was popularized&nbsp;by Apple in 2005. But podcasts have exploded in popularity in recent years, thanks to shows like "Serial."&nbsp;</p>
<p>It's unclear whether the meeting will result in any immediate changes in Apple's approach to podcasts, and the report notes that no promises were made by Apple. But with rivals from Google to streaming music services all also eyeing podcasts as a big opportunity, Apple may feel pressure to appease the unrest among podcasters.</p>
<p><span>"We have more people than ever focused on podcasting, including engineers, editors and programmers," Apple's Cue told the New York Times in a prepared statement. "<span>Podcasts hold a special place with us at Apple."</span></span></p>
<p>Apple was not immediately available for comment.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/business/media/podcasts-surge-apple.html?ref=technology">You can read the full New York Times report here.</a></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-music-introduces-student-discounts-2016-5" >Apple Music is now cheaper if you're a student</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-meeting-with-podcasters-about-frustrations-2016-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-s9-review-best-worst-features-2018-3">The best and worst features of the Samsung Galaxy S9</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/why-apple-needs-to-buy-dropbox-2016-4Why Apple needs to buy Dropbox (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/why-apple-needs-to-buy-dropbox-2016-4
Sun, 24 Apr 2016 08:10:34 -0400Kif Leswing
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/571a85b452bcd0320c8be67d-651-488/eddycuedropbox.jpg" alt="Eddy Cue Dropbox" data-mce-source="James Titcomb" data-link="https://twitter.com/jamestitcomb/status/662017161888567297"></p><p>Apple is unique among the big tech giants in that it's not truly an "internet company" — its revenue primarily comes from selling computer hardware.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-wants-to-be-a-services-company-2016-1">But CEO Tim Cook has signaled</a> this is set to change this year as Apple puts more of an emphasis on its online services like iCloud, iMessage, and Apple Music.</p>
<p>There's just one problem: Apple doesn't seem to be very good at online services. At the very least, it does appear as if rivals like Google and Microsoft are better at executing.</p>
<p><a href="https://stratechery.com/2016/apples-organizational-crossroads/">Analyst Ben Thompson at Stratechery</a> thinks a big reason why Apple can't seem to get online services right is because the company isn't organized in the right way.</p>
<p>He has some interesting advice for Apple — drawing on Dupont's history, he proposes that Apple might add a secondary bottom line for its services, so that the managers in charge might have their own targets to hit.</p>
<p>Thompson writes:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>The root problem in all these [services] cases is the lack of accountability: as long as the iPhone keeps the money flowing and the captive customers coming, it doesn’t really matter if Apple’s services are as good as they could be ...</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The solution to all these problems — and the key to Apple actually delivering on its services vision — is to start with the question of accountability and work backwards: Apple’s services need to be separated from the devices that are core to the company, and the managers of those services need to be held accountable via dollars and cents.</p>
<p>Apple's organization issues were backed up earlier this week by <a href="https://www.theinformation.com/infighting-slows-apples-cloud-engineering-efforts">a report from The Information</a> that indicated that there are two separate teams working on Apple's online services, and there's some bad blood between them:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>Two engineering teams working on new internal cloud-computing infrastructure to power Apple’s Web services are in open conflict, the people say. Already, the infighting has sparked at least one key employee departure, with more expected soon.</span></p>
<p><span>I believe that one of the best ways to solve this problem is for Apple to simply purchase Dropbox, a once superhot startup sporting massive growth that's since cooled down a bit, but still one of the most consumer-friendly cloud-storage systems out there.</span></p>
<p>Dropbox famously turned down a "<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriabarret/2011/10/18/dropbox-the-inside-story-of-techs-hottest-startup/#773317602863">nine-digit</a>" offer from Apple in 2009, but now may be an even more opportune time for Apple to make the plunge. Although Dropbox would most likely be Apple's largest purchase ever, bigger even than the $3.1 billion Beats deal, it makes a lot of sense for both companies. Here's why:</p>
<h2>Right on cue</h2>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5568a6896bb3f76e4da0e1b4-3990-2992/drew-houston-26.jpg" alt="Drew Houston" data-mce-source="Ramsey Cardy/SPORTSFILE via Getty Images" data-mce-caption="In this handout image supplied by Sportsfile, Drew Houston, Founder, Dropbox, speaking during the web summit for careers during Day 2 of the 2014 Web Summit in the RDS on November 5, 2014 in Dublin, Ireland."></p>
<p>Currently, Apple doesn't have a senior executive whose only responsibility is online services.</p>
<p>The two teams mentioned by The Information both report to Eddy Cue, whose title is senior vice president, internet software and services.</p>
<p>But Cue's not a cloud guy — his focus has always been more media-oriented. He helped build the iTunes store, for example, which is an impressive online service, but on a different level from syncing massive amounts of data.</p>
<p>And recently, Apple took the App Store — one of its most profitable online services — away from Cue and gave it to Craig Federighi, who heads software engineering at Apple. It's a logical move, considering Cue has his plate full trying to convince Hollywood types to join an Apple streaming service and produce exclusive TV shows.</p>
<p>But for Apple to really embrace online services, it needs someone who really gets how to engineer them, because as Thompson points out, developing something like iCloud requires a different engineering approach than building iPhones. For great online services, the development approach requires a "good enough" solution thrown online quickly, and continually improved on a daily or even hourly basis for years.</p>
<p>And for that to happen, it needs a clear leader. Someone whose only responsibility is services, and who is listed on <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/bios/">Apple's leadership page</a>.</p>
<p>Drew Houston, CEO at Dropbox, could fill that role. Cue already knows the young executive — he spoke with him onstage at a Dropbox conference last fall. There's even a family connection: Cue's son works as an engineer at Dropbox, according to his LinkedIn profile.</p>
<p><span>Buying Dropbox would be a very easy way to add a second bottom line to the company. It's believed to have booked $400 million in revenue in 2014. It has its own engineering schedule. It has customers who don't use Apple products. If Apple were to buy Dropbox, it could slowly start to transition its services business into its own quasi-independent subsidiary.</span></p>
<h2>It's about the tech</h2>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/52f3d7e96da8114c3a157014-1818-1363/googles-first-server.jpg" alt="Google's first server" data-mce-source="Wikipedia/James Fry" data-mce-caption="Google's first home made computer server and rack at the Computer History Museum" data-link="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GoogleRack_ComputerHistoryMuseum.jpg"></p>
<p>Apple doesn't usually buy companies for their users or their revenues — although Dropbox has 500 million of the former, and had roughly $400 million of the latter in 2014, according to reports at the time.</p>
<p>Instead, Apple typically buys smaller companies "from time to time" mainly for two things: talent and interesting technology.</p>
<p>Dropbox now has over 1,200 employees, according to COO Dennis Woodside, and many of those employees are ex-Google who have successfully built massive online systems that get used thousands to millions of times a second.</p>
<p>And although Dropbox used to be based on Amazon Web Services, it recently announced that it had successfully converted its backend to a homegrown solution — exactly what Apple's currently trying to do with a initiative called "<a href="http://recode.net/2016/03/16/google-gets-apple-to-jump-aboard-its-cloud-business-though-it-may-not-last/">Project McQueen</a>."</p>
<p>In fact, it turns out there is some interesting technology that Dropbox has developed that could help Apple build its cloud. As part of a system it calls "magic pocket," it created has a machine called Diskotech that can store a petabyte of data in a tiny device the size of a breadbox.</p>
<p><a href="https://blogs.dropbox.com/tech/2016/03/magic-pocket-infrastructure/">As Dropbox's head of infrastructure</a> wrote earlier this year:</p>
<p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;"><span>We knew we’d be building one of only a handful of exabyte-scale storage systems in the world ... <span>Few companies in the world have the same requirements for scale of storage as we do.</span></span></p>
<p>Well, Apple has the same requirements, and additional "hard problems" that ambitious and enthusiastic Dropbox engineers would love to tackle.</p>
<p>Apple might be able to swing a bargain on Dropbox, which last received a round of funding over two years ago in January 2014, at a valuation of $10 billion.</p>
<p>Since then, as Business Insider's Eugene Kim <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-clock-is-ticking-for-dropbox-2015-4">has reported</a>, Dropbox has struggled to find a business model to support that valuation. And as cloud storage becomes a "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cloud-storage-race-to-zero-2014-11">race to zero</a>," the company will face growing challenges to live up to expectations — in January, T. Rowe Price marked down its holding in Dropbox by half.</p>
<p>Apple has more than $200 billion in cash on its balance sheet, so it could pay list price, plus a premium, for Dropbox, and angle it as a strategic investment.</p>
<p>It would be Apple's biggest purchase ever, and it would be a win for both companies — both for Dropbox, which is full of employees who might be getting nervous about their options amid a shifting tech-business environment, and Apple, which understands that becoming a top-tier internet-services provider is essential if it wants to remain the world's most valuable company.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/this-vc-says-dropboxs-recent-moves-show-why-big-companies-often-fail-to-innovate-2016-3" >Dropbox is falling prey to a common fallacy</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-apple-needs-to-buy-dropbox-2016-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-apple-product-time-941-2016-4">Here's why the time is always 9:41 in Apple product photos</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-is-officially-making-a-tv-show-2016-3Apple is officially making a television show with Will.i.am – and it's about apps (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-is-officially-making-a-tv-show-2016-3
Thu, 24 Mar 2016 16:30:29 -0400Kif Leswing
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/56f44f8e9105841c008b8a9b-3000-2250/gettyimages-509706612.jpg" alt="Eddy Cue Will I Am" data-mce-source="Getty" data-mce-caption="Host will.i.am, Eddy Cue and guest attend will.i.am's i.am.angel Foundation TRANS4M 2016 Gala at Milk Studios on February 11, 2016." /></p><p>Apple is developing an original show, online services executive&nbsp;Eddy Cue <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/25/business/media/apples-first-foray-into-original-tv-is-a-series-about-apps.html?smid=tw-share">told the New York Times</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The show is about apps, and it will feature real people who aren't speaking from a script. The subject matter makes a lot of sense &mdash;&nbsp;Apple is in touch with a lot of interesting&nbsp;app developers.</p>
<p>According to the report, Will.i.am is working on the project, in addition to two veteran TV industry executives.&nbsp;One executive, Ben Silverman, has been an executive producer on network shows like "Jane the Virgin" and Netflix shows like "Marco Polo."&nbsp;</p>
<p>However, Cue said&nbsp;that the series doesn't necessarily mean that Apple plans to develop a roster of shows like Netflix or Amazon.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"This doesn&rsquo;t mean that we are going into a huge amount of movie production or TV production or anything like that,&rdquo; Cue <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/25/business/media/apples-first-foray-into-original-tv-is-a-series-about-apps.html?smid=tw-share">told The New York Times</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-first-tv-show-vital-signs-stars-dr-dre-and-no-shortage-of-violence-and-sex-2016-2">Previously, The Hollywood Reporter&nbsp;reported</a> that Apple was bankrolling a scripted series about Beats founder and rapper Dr. Dre. Apple has also backed music videos from rapper Drake.</p>
<p>Last year, Apple released a new version of its Apple TV streaming service that allowed developers to write apps designed for the TV screen.</p>
<p>Apple has been trying to put together a streaming TV service for years, with Cue heading the effort, but CBS CEO Les Moonves, a likely partner, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/11/media/cbs-les-moonves-apple-tv/">has said those plans are on hold</a>.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-first-tv-show-vital-signs-stars-dr-dre-and-no-shortage-of-violence-and-sex-2016-2" >Apple's reportedly doing an original scripted TV show with Dr. Dre, and it'll have 'no shortage of violence and sex'</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-is-officially-making-a-tv-show-2016-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-first-computer-programmer-2018-3">How a woman from the 1800s became the first computer programmer</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-executive-speculates-that-fbi-could-forced-to-turn-on-cameras-or-microphones-2016-3Apple exec: FBI could make us spy on Americans with iPhone cameras or microphones (AAPL)http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-executive-speculates-that-fbi-could-forced-to-turn-on-cameras-or-microphones-2016-3
Wed, 09 Mar 2016 18:47:38 -0500Kif Leswing
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/56bb47076e97c625048b63d6-3541-2656/ap_541263288570.jpg" alt="Eddy Cue Tim Cook Tag Team" data-mce-source="AP" /></p><p>Apple's online-services boss, Eddy Cue, warned that if the FBI were to get its way, Apple might be forced to use an iPhone's camera or microphone to spy on people.</p>
<p><span>In a Spanish-language interview </span><a href="http://www.univision.com/organizaciones/apple/apple-el-fbi-se-pone-del-lado-de-los-hackers-en-el-caso-del-iphone-de-san-bernardino?hootPostID=d9e3dfd038e06a92858c0a030fd3fa82">broadcast on Univision on Wednesday</a>, Cue defended Apple's refusal to cooperate with <a href="Online services boss&nbsp;Eddy Cue">a court order asking it to help the FBI</a> extract data from an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters.</p>
<p>He argued&nbsp;that providing the FBI with the so-called back door to a user's iPhone data would be&nbsp;a slippery slope that could create a dangerous precedent.</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">"When they can get us to create a new system to do new things, where will it stop?" Cue said.</span></p>
<p>"<span>For example, one day [the FBI]&nbsp;may want us to open your phone's camera, microphone. Those are things we can't do now. But if they can force us to do that, I think that's very bad," Cue said, according to a translation provided by Apple.</span></p>
<p>In another&nbsp;answer, Cue provided one of the clearest metaphors for the issue that Apple has provided so far.</p>
<p>"What they want is to give them a key to the back door of your house, and we don't have the key. Since we don't have the key, they want us to change the lock," Cue said.</p>
<p>He&nbsp;confirmed&nbsp;that Apple would appeal the decision to the US Supreme Court if it had to, and that it planned to continue to improve security on its devices, pointing to Apple Pay as an example of a recent product designed with security in mind.</p>
<p>"For example, when we made Apple Pay, we did not want to have the number of the credit card, because if you keep it, and if someone steals it, they can use it anywhere. When you use Apple Pay, instead of using that number, we use a new number every time you buy something," Cue said.</p>
<p>Although Cue says he speaks only Spanish with his Cuban parents &mdash; and he made liberal use of English terminology &mdash;&nbsp;he was able to get through the entire interview&nbsp;in his second tongue. He said&nbsp;his parents immigrated to the US for civil liberties and democracy, and alluded that those were the issues at stake in&nbsp;the San Bernardino case.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-vs-apple-history-of-apples-fight-over-the-locked-san-bernardino-shooters-iphone" >Apple and the FBI are in the middle of a huge battle that could affect the privacy of millions of people — here's everything that's happened so far</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-executive-speculates-that-fbi-could-forced-to-turn-on-cameras-or-microphones-2016-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-production-trump-boycott-iphone-trump-2016-3">GENE MUNSTER: Why bringing Apple’s production to the US is impossible</a></p>